Transposing-piano.



B. FROMM.

TRANSPOSING PIANO.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 2|, I914. q D

' lafentedbept. 26, 1916.

4 SHEETSSHEET I.

B. FROMM.

TRANSPOSING PIANO. APPLICATION FlLED JULY 21. 1914.

1 1 99, 367 Patented Sept. 26, 1916.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

L mum B. FROMM.

TRANSPOSING PIA APPLICATION FILED JULY Patented Sept. 26, 1916.

4 SHEETS SHEET 3.

Nu a llllllulnl NEW.

B. FROMM.

TRANSPOSING PIANO.

v in the key in which it BENJAMIN FROIVIM, SF SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA.

TBANSPQSINGr-PIANU.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. 26, 1916.

Application filed July 21, 1914. Serial No. 853,484.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Bowman? FROIM", s subject of the Emperor of Germany, residiugin the city and county of Sam lfirsncisco and State of California, have inventor s new and use ul Improvement in o Trons posiugliano, of which the following is a. specification.

lily invention relates to transpositiousl pianos wherein the keyboard. is capable of movement relatively to the action oi? the piano; and the objects of my invention are iii. tfto provide improved moons whereby a piece music may played on the keys written and be trmsposcd to different key Jhrough the action of the piano; second, to provide 11nprovcd means adapted to automatically lock the-keyboard in any one of several. positions relatively to the action of the piano; third, to provide improved means for moving the keyboard of a piano without moving tle action thereof; and :lt'ourth, to provide means for temporarily separating the keys from the action while the keyboard is being moved. 7

I accomplish the objects of my invention by means of the device disclosed. in the drawings forming a part of the present spcc1tication wherein like characters of reference are used to design-Lite similar parts throughout the said specification and drawings and in which Figure 1 is a broken. detailed front elevation of a portion of z; piano disclosing the lower portion of the action, the keyboard and the spreader for' scpztrating the keys from the action. Fig. 2 is s. transverse section on an enlarged scale disclosing the movdd able keyboard and the frmue for carrying the some, and the lower portion of a part of the action, also disclosing the means whereby the movable keyboard may be moved and held in any one of several positions, also the spreader for temporarily separating the action and'thekeys' disclosed in a, normal position. Fig. 3 is a View similar to Fig. 52 but disclosing the several parts in the position for moving the keyboard, the rear end of the keys being shown depressed and separated from the action. Fig. 4: is a broken detailedefront elevation of a portion of the action, the spreader and the keys in the position disclosed in Fig. 3, the keys being shown in section. Fig. 5 is a. broken front elevation of "the apcrtured locking plate or piano disclosing the manner in which a:

pedal is pivotally mounted in the lower portion thereof and operatively connected to the spreader for separating the keys from the potion. Fig. 8 is an enlarged detailed view of the pinion and a portion of the rock by means of which the movable keyboard is moved. Fig. 9 is a. broken sectional view disclosing the manner in which the pinion is feathered to the movable shaft, and Fig. 10 is a partial plan view eta-portion of the keyboard disclosing the indicator by means of which the relative position of the c board to the action may be indicated.

In pl ying music on the piano from written music it is sometimes desired to transpose the piece or play it in some otherkey than that in which the piece is written. Considerable skill on the part of the player is required to transpose thepiece into the key desired. By means of the following described device the' piece may be played on v the keyboard in the key in which it is written and may be rendered through the action and piano strings in any key desired.

Referring to the drawings, the numeral 1 is used to designate a piano having the usual key bed 2 provided. with ball races 3, within which are suitable ball bearings 4:. A suitable key frame 6 is provided with ball races 7 on the under surface thereof, which are arranged to ride on the balls 4 in the races 3. In order to retain the key frame 6 on the balls 1} suitable rollers 8 are provided which are secured to the case of the piano and rest upon either edge of the keyfmme 6.

livctelly mounted on the keyjrame 6 in the usual manner are a plurality of piano keys The key frame 6 may be moved longitlidirmlly in respect to the action of the piano by means of a: shaft 12, which is slidably and rotatably mounted in the approximate center of the key-lied 2 and is provided with a knob '14 on the outer end thereof, the inner end being arranged to normally engage any one of the apertures 16 of a retail-ling strip 17 secured to and depending apertures 16 corresponding to as many different positions which may be occupied by the key-frame. A pinion 18 is feathered to from the key frame/6. There are 12 of the the shaft 12 and is arranged to engage a rack 19 secured to the under surface of the keyframe 6. A suitable spring 21 is interposed between a collar 22 rigidly secured to the shaft 12 and the pinion 18 feathered to the said shaft 12.

Secured directly in front of the action of the piano is a rigid bar 26 upon which is pivotally mounted three T levers 27. To the stem of each T lever 27 is pivotally secured a shifting rod 28. Upper and lower parallel rods 31 and 32, respectively, are operatively connected to the T levers 27 by means of the connecting rods 33 so that when the shifting rod 28 is moved to the left, the parillel rods 31 and 32 will be raised and lowered, respectively. The upper rod 31 is arranged to engage a wippen 3-1 on each vertically disposed abstract 36 of each hammer 38 which rests directly above each piano key 9, while the lower rod 32 is arranged to engage the rear ends of all of the piano keys 9 and depress the said keys and temporarily separate the same from the vertically disposed abstracts 36, which are each operatively connected to one of the hammers 38 of the action. The shifting rod 28 is operated by a suitable bell crank lever 10 and connecting rod 41 secured to a lever 51 which is in turn secured to a rock shaft 12 in the lower portion of the piano, to which rock shaft 42 is also secured a pedal 13 by means of which the abovedescribed mechanism may be operated. A spring 14, suitably placed, is arranged to normally maintain the key and action separating rods 31 and 32 in such position that they are separated from the wippens 34 of the action and the keys 9, respectively.

The keyboard 6 is provided near the front edge thereof with a pointer 46 which points to a graduated strip 47 on the front edge of the keybed 2 of the piano. These graduations are twelve in number and each represents one of the keys in written music, including the sharps and flats of an octave on a keyboard.

The several parts indicated in the several views throughout the drawings are represented in a normal position, that is, if the key known as C which is represented at A in Fig. 10 of the drawings, be struck, it will engage the vertically disposed abstract 36 of one of the hammers 38 and cause the same to strike one of the strings 49 which represents that note. In other words, the key frame 6 is set to render a piece or to play in the key of C natural. If it is desired to transpose a piece written in the key of G natural into any other key, letus say for illustration, the key of C sharp, the

samemay be accomplished by grasping the knob 14: secured to the shaft 12 and pulling the same outward against the tension of the spring 21 until the inner end thereof is wi hdrawn from one of the apertures 16 of the retaining strip 17. By rotating the knob 14 and the shaft 12 to which it is secured until the pointer 46 reaches the approximate center of the next compartment to the right, which is designated by C sharp, it will be found that every key 9 of the keyboard will be directly under the vertically disposed abstract 36 of the hammer 38, which strikes one of the strings 19, one half tone higher. By releasing the knob 11 when the desired position is obtained, the tension of the spring 21 interposed between the collar 22 and the pinion 18 will move the shaft 12 inwardly and into one of the beveled apertures 16 of the retaining strip 17 secured. to and depending from the keyboard 6. The holes 16 are beveled so as to facilitate the entrance of the end of the shaft 12 into the aperture 16 and cause the proper keys 9 to register with their proper corresponding vertically disposed abstracts 36 of the hammers 38.

In order to prevent the ends of the keys 9 from dislocating or being caught on the lower ends of the vertically disposed abstracts 36, the pedal 43 is depressed, which, by means of the rock shaft -12, connecting rod 4-1 andbell crank lever 10 operates the shifting rod 28, which in turn through the medium of the T levers 27 which are pivotally mounted on the stationary member 26 will in turn cause the rod 31 to rise and to engage the wippens 3-1: of the abstracts 36 and lift all the said abstracts 36 and at the same time cause the rod to be lowered and depress the inner ends of the keys 9, thus temporarily separating the action or abstracts 36 from the keys 9 while the key frame 6 is being moved, as hereinbefore described.

As soon as the key frame 6 has been moved to its required position, the pedal 43 is released permitting the spring 41 secured to the lever 51 on the rock shaft--12 to return the spreader composed of the parallel rods 31 and 32 to a ricrmal position, as disclosed in Fig. 2 of the drawings.

By providing additional keys on either end of the keyboard, it is evident that the keyboard may be shifted to either extreme position and all of the strings on the piano will still be available, or by employing the usual number of keys and adding strings to either end of the piano, the same result may be obtained.

It is evident that the key 9 representing middle G on the keyboard of the piano may be shifted six half tones to the right, which will cause the key 9 representing C when struck to play either 0 sharp or D natural, D sharp, E natural, F natural or F sharp; Or by mov' ing to any one of five half tones in the other direction, the key of C may be struck to sound either B natural, B fiat, A natural, A flat or G natural.

Having thus described my invention what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is c v v l. A transposing piano comprising a movable keyboard adapted to register with the action of the piano in any one of several positions; means for securingthe keyboard against movement; and means for simulta-.

neously lifting the action and depressing the inner ends of the keys.

' 2. A transposing piano comprising a movable keyboard mounted to occupy any one of several operative positions relatively to the action of the said piano; a shaft rotatably and slidably mounted within the case of the piano; a depending retaining plate having a "plurality of apertures therein secured to the movable keyboard; said shaft being adapted to engage in any one of the holes in saidretaining pl'ate whereby the keyboard may be locked in any one of several operative positions; means for normally maintaining the engagement of the end of the shaft with the retaining plate; and means through which the shaft is longitudinally movable and whichis adapted to engage and adapted to move the key-board when the shaft. is rotated.

3. A transposing piano comprising a movable keyboard mounted to occupy any one ofseveral operative positions relatively to the action of the said piano; a shaft rotatably and slidably mounted within the case of the piano; a depending retaining plate vhaving a plurality of apertures therein secured to the movable keyboard; said shaft being adapted to engage in any one of the holes of said-retaining plate whereby the key-board may be locked in any one of its several operative positions; means for normally maintaining the engagement of the end of the shaft with the retaining plate; means through which the shaft is longitudinally movable and which is adapted to. en gage and adapted to move the keyboard when the shaft is rotated; and means for temporarily separating the keys from the action'of the piano.

4 A transposing piano comprising a movable keyboard mounted to occupy any one of several operative positions relatively to the action of the said piano; a shaft rotatably and slidably mounted within the case of the piano; a depending retaining plate having a plurality of apertures therein secured to the movable keyboard; said shaft being adapted to engage in any one of the holes of said retaining plate whereby the keyboardmay be'locked in any one of its several operative positions; means for normally maintaining the engagement of the end of the shaft with the retaining plate;

means through which the shaft islongitudinally movable and whichfis ndaptedto engage and adapted to move'lthe keyboard 5. A transposing piano comprising a movable keyboard mounted to occupy any one of several operative positions relatively to the action of the said piano; a shaft rota- .tably and slidably mounted within the case of the piano; a depending retaining plate having a plurality of apertures therein secured to the movablekeyboard; said shaft being adapted to engage in any one of the holes of said retaining plate whereby the keyboard may be locked in any one of its several operative positions; means for'normally maintaining the engagement of the end of the shaft with the retaining plate; means through which the shaft is longitudinally movable and which engages the key board and is adapted to move the keyboard when the shaft is rotated; a spreader adapted to engage and separate the keys from the action; and a suitable pedal operatively connected to the spreader and adaptedto operate the same and temporarily separate the keys from the action of the piano.

6. Ina transposing piano, the combination of a movable keyboard having a rack and an apertured retaining strip fse ured thereto; a shaft slidably and rd' tably mounted in the case of the piano and having its inner end projecting into one of the apertures within the retaining strip; said shaft being adaptedto engage any one of the holes in said retaining strip; a gear through which the shaft is slidable, said gear beingrotatable with the shaft and engaging the rack on the keyboard and-moving the same in either direction when the s aft is rotated; a collar rigidly secured o the shaft; a suitable spring interposed between the collar and the gear on the shaft and adapted. to'normally retain theinner end of the shaft within one of the apertures within the retaining strip; a spreader comprising parallel horizontal rods movably mounted above the keyboard and near the action and arranged to engage and separate the said action from the keys on the keyboard; and

, a suitable pedal mounted in the'lower portion of the piano and operatively connected to and adapted to operate the spreader.

7. The combination with a pianoaction and a movable key-frame therefor, of parallel horizontal bars arranged to engagethe action of the piano and the keys thereof;

and means operatively connected to the engage the action and the other bar to engage the keys of the piano; a pedal movably mounted within the piano; and means operatively connecting the pedal and the horizontal bars and arranged. to separate the bars and thereby cause the separation of the action from the keys of the piano when the pedal is depressed. V

9. The combination, with a piano action and a movable key-frame therefor, of a bar rigidly secured near the action; upper and lower horizontal parallel bars movably mounted near the rigid bar and arranged to engage the action and the keys of the bed respectively; a shifting rod operatively connected to the parallel bars; and a pedal operatively connected to the shifting rod and adapted to shift the said rod and spread the parallel. bars and to temporarily separate the action of the piano from the keys thereof.

10. A transposing piano comprising in combination a slidable key frame, means fo shifting said key frame when desired, a bar immediately beneath the Wi pens of the action, a bar immediately a ove the inner ends of the keys, a T lever pivoted intermediate said bars having. a portion substantially parallel to the said bars, links connecting said bars with the ends of the said parallel portion of said lever, and means for rocking said lever, whereby the action and keys are simultaneously moved in opposite directions.

In witness whereof I hereunto set my signature in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

BENJAMIN. FROWM.

Witnesses BERNICE Moons, J AMES F. MeCUn. 

